2014 Festival gets funding to focus on fishing families

DEMONSTRATIONS OF CONTEMPORARY COMMERCIAL FISHING activities form the basis of New Bedford's Working Waterfront Festival. Captain Lou Lagace displays some of his product in front of his boat, the Mariette.

NEW BEDFORD – The 2014 Working Waterfront Festival set for Sept. 27 and 28 has been awarded a $45,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to help with production.

The event, which costs $200,000 a year in cash and in-kind donations to put on, has won NEA grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 since 2004, with the exception of 2005, when the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Mass., which runs the festival, could not meet the grant deadline, said festival Director Laura Orleans.

“These funds will enable us to continue to provide a forum for the commercial fishing community to tell its own story, and a unique and significant opportunity for the public to learn firsthand about the lives, skills and traditions of the working waterfront,” said Orleans.

The free, family-friendly festival opens the New Bedford waterfront to the public with a look into commercial fishing. The 2014 Festival will put the spotlight on the historic and contemporary role of fishing families. Programming highlights the skills, knowledge and traditions that are passed from one generation to the next.

In a statement, NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa said the center is one of 832 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States,” Shigekawa said. “Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts.”

Art Works grants support the creation of art that engages the public, promotes lifelong learning in the arts, and enhances the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,528 eligible applications and recommended awards totaling $23.4 million.

Corporate sponsors throughout New England provide the additional support needed to produce the event. To become a sponsor, contact the Festival office at (508) 993-8894.

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